Show Some Love for MAMA'S FAMILY (1 Viewer)

[David*P]

I'm SOOOOOOOOOO excited to hear this news!! My whole family is! We LOVE this show! Pretty much cause Thelma Harper IS our Grandma (who really happens to be named Thelma) LOL. They b*tch the same, dress the same and share pretty much the same voice. And the phrase "Good Lord!" falls out my Grandma's mouth just as much as it falls out of Thelma Harper's.

I would hope they would have the cast back for interviews and such. And I like the idea of having the sketches from the Carol Burnett show included.

I hope this comes out on DVD in 2006!

 

[Malcolm R]

You ain't right in the head, Eunice. I think somebody blew your pilot light out! You've got splinters in the windmills of your mind!

 

[greg_t]

I would definitely buy them! I loved the show.

 

[David Rain]

I seriously doubt that we would get the orginal sketches included in any of the season box sets. The Burnett show aired on CBS and Mama's Family, for whatever reason, aired originally on NBC. I think it would be more likely that we would see the "Famiy" sketches released in a themed set all together. Season sets of TCBS are probably impossible because of music rights. However, I would settle for sets of the syndicated version of the show which is called Carol Burnett & Friends.

 

[Jay_B!]

anybody know if the original open tags with Harvey Korman will be restored to the DVD's? TBS has never aired those as far as I'm aware

 

[Ethan Riley]

They better! Or they're gonna hear from US!

 

[Allison]

Get in line behind me, kiddo I am a HUGE Mama fan and have met Mama herself, Vicki Lawrence, twice in person already and I have seen her 3 times.

Yes, there were 130 episodes...but what I don't think many people know is there are actually 135 episodes. Currently, 129 episodes are seen in syndication on TBS - 34 episodes from the NBC years and 95 from the syndicated years. They filmed exactly 100 episodes when MF was still in its first run, and they just never aired five of the episodes.

I would LOVE to have "Eunice" packaged with the 1st season set. "Eunice" ended up being the pilot to MF. They filmed "Eunice" in March of 1981 and it aired on CBS in March of 1982. NBC thought it would be a great idea to start shooting Mama's own series in the summer of 1982. MF was originally planned to have a full-season first season and was going to debut in the fall of 1982, but NBC did not like the scripts so they scrapped what they had done so far and the cast filmed new episodes through the fall of 1982 and it was put on the lineup as a mid-season replacement, debuting in January of 1983.

See....I know my stuff!!!

OH yeah, I have a copy of "Eunice" on tape from when it first aired in 1982 and the quality is awful. I would LOVE to have a remastered copy of it on DVD!!!!

 

[Craig Beam]

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/39045

...I couldn't resist.

 

[David Rain]

Well, I adore MF but I never knew about the unaired episodes. I'd like to know what the plots were, if the cast lineup was different, etc. Would be great if these episodes turned up on the DVD. Or were these just scripts that were written, rejected and never filmed ?

 

[Joe Lugoff]

"Eunice" would be a nice extra with "Mama's Family," except for one thing:

Mama dies in it!

I met Vicki Lawrence, too, and I asked her to give me a cheap thrill and say something to me in her Mama voice. And she did. She said, "Don't just stand there with a stupid expression on your face, get me a beer!"

I didn't realize how stupid my expression was. I knew exactly how poor Eunice must have felt all those years!

 

[Allison]

Craig B., I've seen that link before. Cracks me up every time!!


lol, I know about that bit in "Eunice" - what inspired NBC to do such a thing after such an ending in "Eunice," I will never know. But they did it and Lorimar eventually got MF to a #1 spot in first-run syndication

BTW, when did you meet Vicki? I met her in May 2003 and October 2004. I saw her both times + August 2005. I hope to see her again this year and ask her if she can share any info about MF being on DVD.

 

[Greg Black]

Wow, I'm so glad to see that a lot of other people love Mama just like I do! I've been a fan ever since I was a kid in the 80's.

I try to watch it every mornining on TBS, but I would buy season sets in a second if they decide to release them!

 

[Joe Lugoff]

I can't say exactly when it was date-wise, but it was when she was on her book-signing tour for her memoirs (or autobiography, or whatever it was) called (I think) "Miss Firecracker" or something like that.

I remember when the very first Eunice and Mama sketch was on the Carol Burnett show. When I saw they cast Vicki as Mama, I thought, "Well, this is stupid -- she's almost young enough to be Carol Burnett's daughter." It wasn't two minutes before she had me totally convinced -- and I haven't stopped laughing at Mama ever since (although she's really a sad character; they toned her down for "Mama's Family," thank goodness.)

 

[Ethan Riley]

Wait a minute, I met Vicki too!!! I met her in about 1987 when she was hosting "Win Lose or Draw." I used to go down to the studio and watch them tape! I probably saw about 20 episodes...loved it.

I also saw Vicki about 2 years ago; I was actually in the studio audience of the Carol Burnett reunion special "Bump up the Lights." Someone asked Vicki how Mama was doing. She said, "Mama's at home sittin' in the closet...because she's old."

 

[David Rain]

I have always wondered if Iola wasn't originally supposed to be a part of the syndicated version ? If you watch those early syndie episodes (after Rue has left the show)you'll notice that Iola is totally missing from some of them and not mentioned at all. Or perhaps it simply took a while to cast the role so there were other episodes filmed first that didn't feature the character. It's also possible that she was only meant to be recurring at first.

Speaking of Iola, the Boylan family actually did exist in the original network episodes as they were briefly mentioned a couple of times in passing as Mama's neighbors. Mrs. Boylan is seen on the curb as Mama drives by in one episode. This was before she was made an invalid later on.

 

[Jay_B!]

according to DavisDVD.com season 1 will be released on Sept. 26 with a $24.99 retail price.

 

[Andrew Radke]

Excellent news, although I must echo my comments in my earlier post stating that they should've packaged season 1 & 2 together to complete the original NBC run. I fear that this may be another title that won't get past the first season. I can't speak for others, but growing up in the 80's, I was most familiar with the syndicated episodes with Bubba and Iola. I just hope there is enough public interest in this set to warrant future seasons, most notably, the aforementioned syndicates. However, despite my concern about future seasons being released, I'll definitely support the series and purchase the first set. I can't wait.

 

[Jason_V]

Dang, September's now filling up on my DVD board.

A combined S1/S2 set would probably have been best, but it would also have raised the price point considerably. People may just make a blind buy when this comes out, considering most retailers should have it for $19 or so.

 

[Jay_B!]

I don't see what would be so insane about 1 and 2, there were 35 episodes between the two seasons.... F Troop is 34 episodes an $29.99, it shouldn't have made a big difference.

Plus, we know Warner's track record with sitcoms that aren't Friends nor are shown 8 times a night on Nick At Nite, so I'm sure season 1 will be all we get, but I love the early episodes best anyways.

 

[JonathanBB]

No Eunice? That sucks. Hopefully Davis DVD is wrong.